Articles related to Environment

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe global jewelry industry relies on complex supply chains that hide worker exploitation, a report says. Out of 13 jewelry brands, only one company, Tiffany and Co., was able to earn a strong rating.

By: Caroline PomeroySince the concept was invented in the late '80s, carbon offsetting has had bad press, likened to buying papal indulgences, described as "greenwash" and a license to pollute. But is it?

By: John WeaverThe evidence is clear that climate change is real and that human are responsible. While the facts may be conclusive, people do not believe it will affect them. Our future rests in our hands.

By: Martin J. HodsonWhile Martin Luther's writings were not heavily concerned with creation care or the environment, those alive today could bring about another reformation of the church - an environment reformation.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe leading environmental cause of death and illness is pollution, causing an estimated 9 million premature deaths in 2015, a report says. That's three times more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

By: Zach DawesSome people may make seemingly convincing arguments that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is ultimately beneficial for our planet, but such statements rely on grains of truth connected to faulty conclusions.

By: Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. HodsonAlthough evangelicals tend to be less friendly toward the environment than other parts of the church, many hold prominent positions in environmental work in the U.K. What explains this dichotomy?

By: EthicsDaily StaffA strong majority of U.S. adults - almost three-fourths - affirmed climate change is taking place, and nearly two out of three people said the U.S. government should be working to address climate change.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation launches the season of Creationtide from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4. Numerous resources are available to help congregational leaders observe the season.

By: Marianna HilldrupAs we understand the vital ways in which people and the environment are interwoven, we gain a new appreciation for creation care. We are obliged to care for - and not dominate - the world around us.

By: Fred GuttmanNeither cremation nor embalming are environmentally sound options for burial, but a traditional Jewish burial is an environmentally conscious choice that has minimal impact on the earth.

By: Zach DawesA sense of responsibility for the common good of the world and everyone in it has taken a back seat to immediate progress for the individual person, group or nation. But this me-first mindset isn't sustainable.

By: James GordonWhen it comes to care for God's creation, Christians aren't in a neutral position. Reckless disregard for the health of this planet is an offense to deep principles of Christian theology.

By: Lois MitchellEven though Christians have divergent views on climate change, ample evidence exists for us to be concerned and engaged in efforts to mitigate the effects and advocate for better approaches.

By: Leah KostamaTinker with one part of the environment, and it ripples throughout the world. Environmental degradation affects more than the birds, the fish and the animals; it affects humans. Everything's connected.

By: Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. Hodson Tension often exists between evangelism and environmental action; do we save humans or trees? However, holistic mission sees evangelism, social concern and creation care as important.

By: Martin Hodson and Margot HodsonEnvironmental ethics is often thought to have originated in the 1970s, but much of the thought actually predated the '70s. Here's a look at the key thinkers and movements from the 1850s onward.

By: Martin Hodson and Margot Hodson Starting out on environmental ethics requires learning new terms and definitions. Once understood, they provide us with tools to go deeper into understanding the ethics of the natural world and our interaction with it.

By: Helle LihtThe first step toward environmental and climate literacy among Christians is how we read Scripture. We must read Scripture so that it holds together the natural world and the world of human beings.

By: Molly T. MarshallThe church is rather silent about the stewardship of natural resources. Yet, in large measure, God has entrusted the care of creation to humans, and we participate in its ultimate redemption through our actions.

By: Matt SappWe have a responsibility to nurture and care for all that God has created. After all, the only appropriate response to God's creative initiative in our lives and in our world is unending praise.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAn estimated 600 million children - that's one in four - will struggle to access potable water by 2040 if current trends continue, a UNICEF report says. Thirty-six nations currently struggle with sufficient access to clean water.

By: John WeaverPresident Trump's administration has expressed troubling views on climate change. We should pray that the campaign-trail rhetoric continues to be moderated in the shaping of good government.

By: Chuck SummersWorking to preserve and protect the creation is both a religious obligation and an act of worship. People of faith must now, more than ever, be willing to take a stand for creation care.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAlthough hunger and poverty are being addressed more effectively than any other time in history, daunting challenges - including global conflict and climate change - pose significant barriers to eradicating them.

By: Chris HallMany folks strive to be green, but it can be an expensive choice. We are stewards of our resources and this planet. We must find the balance between watching our pennies and caring for the planet.

By: Hailey BrendenPeople in nations with few resources will be hardest hit by climate change. One Baptist worker is doing his part to change that by working with the garment and textile industries in an eastern Asian country.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMany Americans believe climate change and global warming are due to the effects of human activities. However, based on their varied responses, they're uncertain on the best way to move forward.

By: John WeaverThe question echoes around the world: What is happening to our weather? As Christians, we have a calling to protect the earth and the poor, even as world leaders fail to hear their cries.

By: Chuck SummersNo matter how big the crowds, how glorious the music or inspirational the preaching, our worship services are found unsatisfactory to God if we are not at the same time committed to maintaining justice.

By: Helle Liht The European Christian Environmental Network, meeting in Finland, urged participants to examine Christians' responsibility to address the issue of water shortage and its role in climate change.

By: Chuck SummersMany churches spend more time in conflict than loving each other. Our nation and the international community are equally divided. So much divides us, but surely we can agree we have the planet in common.

By: Neville CallamOnce a staple of corporate worship life, Harvest Thanksgiving was a time when life in agrarian communities was adorned by rich annual celebrations of the providential care of the God of nature.

By: Chuck SummersWe sin against creation on a regular basis. We wipe out animals from their habitats, cut down acres of majestic trees and kill fish with poisoned waters. Is it time to ask for forgiveness from God's creation?

By: Chuck SummersSo many of the environmental problems we face today have resulted from our failure to understand or remember that the earth is not ours to do with as we please. The earth belongs to God.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWidespread agreement exists in the U.S. that the global climate is warming, but the reasons are debated: 49 percent say it's human-caused, 46 percent cite natural changes, and 5 percent have no opinion.

By: EthicsDaily StaffNearly 25 percent of annual deaths worldwide are due to unhealthy environmental conditions, a WHO report says. Most deaths from unhealthy environments occur in lower-income nations.

By: Margot HodsonReligious and political extremism fuel war and tensions in many places. Refugees struggle to survive a freezing winter. Global warming threatens our future. How will the church respond?

By: John WeaverA Baptist church in England has received an award to recognize its ongoing efforts to care for the environment in all areas of church life. It's one of more than 300 churches from all denominations to earn the award.

By: Chuck SummersHumans have radically altered the landscape of the earth. Many animals now have only a fraction of their original habitat. What we do with the land around us has repercussions on numerous species.

By: John WeaverAt the United Nations climate talks in Paris, all delegates accepted that the situation the world faces is urgent, but will the accord they reached be another unfulfilled political promise?

By: Brian KaylorAs diplomats meet in Paris for climate change talks, faith leaders from several denominations and nations gathered at the Notre Dame Cathedral for a special worship service focused on climate change.

By: Chuck SummersNature has its own pace and doesn't tend to rush things. We could learn something from nature. Our rush through life keeps us from experiencing what God has in mind for us here and now.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWith 154 signatures from more than 40 countries, a diverse group of global faith leaders has issued a statement encouraging support of the U.N.'s climate change conference in Paris in December.

By: Zach DawesThe U.S. sent 262 million tons of garbage into landfills in 2012, more than double the EPA's estimate, a study says. That means you send five pounds of trash to landfills daily. Here's how to change that.

By: Chuck SummersWhile there was little media attention given to the first World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Sept. 1, two prayers from Pope Francis and Jane Goodall captured the spirit of the day.

By: Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. HodsonMany climate change skeptics only seek evidence that will support their views. However, Scripture offers several examples to guide our response to their skepticism.

By: Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. HodsonWhile most climate scientists agree that climate change is real and human-induced, the general public is less convinced. And powerful institutions, whose interests are threatened, are challenging the consensus.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThirty-one percent of all U.S. citizens and 40 percent of U.S. Roman Catholics have heard about Pope Francis' encyclical on ecology. A new report offers insights regarding this continued lack of visibility.

By: Zach DawesGod is working to bring about a "new creation" that involves both humanity and creation. It is not a replacement but a renewal movement in which all things are becoming fully aligned with God's design.

By: Robert ParhamHeading into the 25th year since the formation of the Baptist Center for Ethics is a good time to list some accomplishments and to acknowledge some shortcomings. Here are five of each.

By: Chuck SummersRacism continues to be an ugly scar upon the America's soul. While media have focused on acts of violence afflicted upon minorities, environmental racism doesn't receive a lot of public attention.

By: Zach DawesWe may want folks to implement creation-care measures because it's the right thing to do, but it's easier to motivate folks to recycle and live more sustainable lives when there's a financial incentive.

By: Chuck SummersWith all the other news swirling in recent weeks, one overlooked item is a study that says recent extinction rates of species are accelerating at an alarming rate. The culprit? Humans.

By: Robert ParhamU.S. Baptists raised their voices following the Charleston shooting and the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling. By contrast, few Baptist voices spoke up about the pope's encyclical on the environment.

By: Molly T. MarshallWe cannot claim to be persons of faith if there is not concern about the impact of our patterns of living upon future generations and the kind of ecological home they will inherit. The pope helps us see that.

By: William BrackneyChristians need to respond to the ecological crises now and with good reason. And the pope's encyclical on creation should embolden every Christian denomination to study the issues and voice their concerns.

By: Timothy GilbertThe pope's encyclical on the environment is a wakeup call to Christian and theological education to address pressing issues that will not wait and which have dire consequences for millions of people and creatures.

By: Robert CreechPope Francis' vision for the environment is a call to practical action, personal ecological conversion and lifestyle change. Here are five ways your church can care for the environment today.

By: Stephen HolmesThe pope narrates the world, and our relationship to it, in new ways. If we accept his acts of redescription, then we will have no choice but to relate to creation, and to each other, differently.

By: John WeaverPulling no punches, Pope Francis offered a clear biblical mandate to care for creation, calling for a Christ-like attitude, which recognizes that all people are in God's image and none is superfluous.

By: Zach DawesPope Francis' wide-ranging encyclical on the environment speaks boldly about the imperative that Christians have to take care of God's creation and notes the frequent moral failure of humanity to do so.

By: Margot and Martin HodsonChurches have substantial investments, including pensions, in fossil fuel. Is it ethical for them to invest in fossil fuels? How can environmental ethics inform their decision making?

By: Robert ParhamPope Francis will release his encyclical - one of the highest forms of teaching for a pope - on the environment next week. His words will wash over every other church body - even Baptists.

By: John WeaverThe arguments opposing fracking are many and various, while the objective voice of scientific research struggles most to be heard. So what's a reasonable and balanced Christian response?

By: Larry EubanksGod trusts us with sovereignty over creation. This wasn't so we could rule over the world but so we could rule on behalf of it. We are called to serve by keeping peaceful order so the world may flourish.

By: Sam HarrellOur planet has a limited amount of resources. At some point, demand will outstrip supply. Instead of blaming others, we must realize we're all culpable and must work together to achieve sustainability.

By: Guy SaylesGod has given mankind dominion over the earth, but we've distorted that meaning to justify exploitation of the earth's nonhuman creatures and profligate waste of its resources. We are not owners, but stewards.

By: Larry EubanksCare for the earth is a part of biblical theology, but somehow it doesn't find its way into a lot of Christians' theology. If we are going to get our lives in line with the plans of God, we must recover this emphasis.

By: Elizabeth Evans HaganIf you believe we're rulers of this world and not its caretakers, it's easy to not care about it. But this is not the way in the kingdom of God. We're called to care for the earth, no matter how hard it might be.

By: Ron RolheiserThe Scriptures affirm that Christ didn't just come to save people; he came to save the world. The physical world has its own rights and is part of God's plan for eventual heavenly life.

By: Chuck SummersCreation is meant to be a reflection of God's glory, not ours. By failing to take seriously our role as co-creators with God, we have marred or dimmed the reflection that is meant to be seen.

By: Cory Labrecque (The Martin Marty Center: Sightings)Although a number of Christians are less than enthusiastic about supporting the environmental movement, concern in churches for climate change varies between and within denominations.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMore than two dozen governors shared positive economic outlooks in their State of the State addresses. Education and criminal justice were popular topics with most of those politicians.

By: Robert ParhamThe Catholic Church appears to be ready to take on climate change in an energetic way, putting them at odds with the anemic response from the U.S. Protestant community. Let civility prevail.

By: Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Mark KoenigArmed conflict and war claim human lives, but they also exact a cost on God's creation. The environmental damage lingers long after those conflicts end. Will Christians be environmental peacemakers?

By: Colin HarrisSome issues and images, such as domestic abuse and disease, so blatantly violate our collective moral consciousness that they unite us to urgent action. Shouldn't climate change be the same?

By: Chuck SummersYou cannot enjoy the blessing of home ownership unless you are willing to take on the responsibilities that come with it. We are blessed to call the earth home, so why don't we take care of it?

By: EthicsDaily StaffClimate change is affecting developing countries, where the poor are suffering from the habits of rich people around the world, says Grace Ji-Sun Kim in a new EthicsDaily.com Skype interview.

By: Chuck SummersThrough caring for creation, we can provide those who follow us with a healthier planet, which will result in healthier lives for us as well as more opportunities for God to reveal himself through creation.

By: Zach DawesPersuading a church to become more eco-friendly is one of the most difficult "sales" of all, yet it's another way to live out our call to love our neighbor. And we can start with the midweek meal.

By: EthicsDaily StaffFirst Baptist of Austin is one of the "greenest" churches in central Texas. The city of Austin awarded its Green Business Leaders Program platinum certification award to the church.

Two prominent governors, who are skeptics about the evidence for climate change, have called for prayer for their drought-plagued states. But God doesn't perform tricks on demand to further political ambitions.

The latest round of talks by world leaders at a United Nations' climate change summit was encouraging, British Baptist leaders said. The establishment of a climate fund will protect poor nations against climate impacts.

The birth of Jesus represents the supreme effort on God's part to reshape our flawed humanity back into his own image. If we would only accept as true the things Jesus had to say to us, what a different world this might be.

Few Tea Party adherents think global warming is a problem, and most GOP Senate candidates in heated races expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Scientific certitude is no match for ideological absurdity.

Who would have imagined that one of the world's most holy rivers would be so defiled that an environmental group would call for a halt to baptisms there for health reasons? The Jordan River isn't what we think it is.

Paying attention to nature was not part of the faith tradition or secular education of Helle Liht, who grew up Baptist and in a country under Soviet Union domination. It wasn't until she was an adult that she saw the connection.

The recent horrific downpours in America and around the world were not isolated events. Global warming sets the table for these intense downpours. People of faith must urge elected officials to take action.

Pointing out that the effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, a prominent Bangladesh Baptist has urged everyone to take responsibility for their actions in contributing to climate change.

While it appears BP was ill-prepared for the disaster their negligence largely created, to what degree did we help create the economic climate in which companies take insane risks to feed our addiction to fossil fuels?

Rather than just accepting the reality of the oil catastrophe in the Gulf, what lessons can we learn to be more proactive and progressive? For starters, here are five to help us be better custodians of our planet.

While few know how much damage the BP oil catastrophe will inflict ultimately on the environment and the economy, one thing is certain. We need to begin now to move toward the use of renewable energy sources.

Has the SBC pivoted away from its position over the past 20 years of fidelity to angry fundamentalist leaders and faithfulness to the political right? Are the results of the SBC's annual meeting an aberration or a new positive trend?

Historians and scientists are predicting the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will be the largest environmental disaster in America’s history. While we can’t undo what happened, we can discuss a Christian response.

A massive rupture in the ocean's floor gushing oil into the Gulf is more than a threat to my hometown and neighboring communities. It is a threat to national security. This is, as one magazine put it, Katrina meets Chernobyl.

Six weeks after oil began gushing into the Gulf, the U.S. faces what appears to be its worst man-made ecological disaster. And three moral transgressions – greed, sloth and pride – manifest themselves in BP's disaster.

While Copenhagen yielded a weak deal for our commitment to climate control, it's still another step on the road. In this new year, we must keep the pressure on for a plan that's fair, ambitious and binding.

People hesitate to argue with a mechanic over the best way to fix an engine or with a surgeon over the best way to replace a hip. Why do so many have no hesitation to dismiss scientists about climate change?

Is it arrogance for humans to think of themselves as the cause or solution of climate change? Can the actions of a few million atone for the sins of decades of others? Well, even if it is arrogance, it feels right.

Speaking before a recent European Union summit meeting, leaders from three British denominations called on the EU to make drastic emissions cuts by 2020 and to help emerging nations cut carbon emissions.

The Christian Coalition joined the National Wildlife Federation in urging the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that will address constructively climate change. The Coalition's commitment to addressing climate change is a ray of hope.

The year 1990 is significant in the emergence of a Christian response to the environmental crisis. That's when the World Convocation on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation issued the Seoul Declaration.

Members of the U.S. House narrowly passed unprecedented climate legislation, which was endorsed by more than 140 Baptist leaders. The bill still needs approval from the Senate before going to President Obama.

Global-warming denier Rep. Paul Broun is among the evangelical Christian politicians who adhere to a trinity of biblical literalism, free-market ideology and hostility toward science that endangers the common good.

Americans who are alarmed, concerned or cautious about global warming make up 70 percent of the population, a new study said. Those in the dismissive group are the most likely to be evangelical Christians or Baptists.

Big oil companies used green ad campaigns to bolster their image and blunt public criticism at a time when soaring gasoline prices were devastating household budgets and contributing to job losses, according to a recent analysis.

An imperfect bill should not sideline people of faith from supporting "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009." We must not allow the tyranny of moral perfectionism to block the urgency of moral realism.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted largely along party lines to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The bill's success is far from certain as it will face scrutiny before a vote by the House.

The message from the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was clear: The poorest everywhere are the ones most at risk to the impacts of climate change. Will Christians be part of the solution?

Enacting meaningful climate-change legislation isn't easy, even when a newspaper report and testimony from Al Gore help the case. A House bill may be diluted because Dems from industrial and coal-producing states are balking.

While the green movement is still taking root at many churches, some congregations are taking steps to be more faithful stewards of God's creation, from reducing their use of foam products to cleaning up a nearby park.

Environmental organizations, such as the National Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club, are reaching out to churches and faith-based organizations for partnerships on issues of environmental stewardship.

Lobbying for climate change has become a high-stakes issue in the last five years, a new study finds. The number of lobbyists has more than tripled to 2,340 – more than four times the members of Congress.

Sen. Inhofe's report lists more than "700 dissenting scientists" who dispute man-made global warming. One "scientist" is actually a TV weatherman with no college degree. One wonders how many others are without credentials.

Whether evolution or the environment or another hot topic, debates between scientists and theologians seem to get the most muddled when those involved seek to address concerns beyond their fields of their expertise.

The scientific evidence of climate change is no longer disputable. As disciples of Christ we cannot close our eyes to the facts. If we do not act, we will be complicit in the starvation, poverty and injustice that results.

There is a growing realization that one source of coal—mountaintop-removal mining—is especially destructive, and there is a growing conviction that stopping that practice is something that cannot wait.

The symbolism was obvious: President Obama went to the rooftop—the roof of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado, with its solar panels for heat—before he signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package into law Tuesday.

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, once again used his weekly radio program to mock the idea of global warming and instead claimed that the earth is experiencing global cooling. However, Land relied on poor evidence, including a discredited list of scientists and the prediction of an unreliable almanac.

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, recently made inaccurate claims that the earth is cooling instead of warming. As he made his claims during the Nov. 22 broadcast of his radio program "Richard Land Live!," Land mocked Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and others who warn of the dangers of climate change.

Messengers at the 2008 annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention adopted a resolution on "environmental stewardship." However, the resolution barely promoted environmental stewardship but instead mainly attacked those who warn of the dangers of global warming.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, criticized a newly released green-letter Bible. Published by HarperOne, the Bible is printed on recycled paper and with soy-based ink and a cotton/linen cover. Additionally, the Bible highlights passages about creation and the environment in green letters, much as many Bibles highlight the words of Jesus in red letters.

Al Gore knows that actions speak louder than words, especially when it comes to an issue which evokes reptilian opposition in some quarters of corporate America and skepticism within certain church circles: global warming.

These days you don't have to drive too long before you'll come across a hybrid car. High gasoline prices are finally having an effect. SUVs are out and hybrids, as well as other high mileage vehicles, are suddenly very much in demand. We simply can't afford the gas.

While promoting more domestic drilling for oil, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has repeatedly offered false claims about the environmental devastation of oil wells in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

How many Baptist seminaries celebrate their diamond jubilee with a gift wish list that includes funding for solar panels to produce hot water and photo voltaic panels for electricity production for street lights?

Noble Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore on Thursday issued a "moon shot"-style challenge for the United States to set a goal of producing 100 percent of its electricity from non-carbon, renewable energy resources by 2018.

Alongside the summer pursuits of outdoor projects, backyard barbecues and a really good book to read while sitting by a stream, lake or ocean--I have wondered about the fragility and tenuous nature of life.

A group of conservative religious leaders and politicians on Thursday unveiled a new campaign aimed at getting 1 million supporters behind a so-called "biblical" view of the environment that downplays concerns about human-induced global warming.

Magazines and other media often paint environmentalism as a more expensive lifestyle choice. Often they use the "green" mantra to promote companies who pay for advertising. Every product that is manufactured (even if it is "green") requires energy to produce and fuel to distribute. Each of these products also creates its own waste stream. Instead of buying more products, consumers need to look at ways to use current resources more wisely. Happily, such choices are easier on the pocketbook as well as the planet.

Baptists have throughout history largely lagged behind other Christians in theological and practical discussion concerning the environment, but there are signs the Baptist conscience is awakening to the issue of creation care, a European Baptist leader told a recent gathering of British Baptists.

Curiously, churches have lagged far behind institutions of higher education and corporations in paying attention to environmental responsibility and sustainability in constructing buildings. In some conservative Christian circles, the recent obsession with creation(-ism) has led to a great deal of talk but very little walk in creation care. In some liberal circles, environmentalism has become a new creedalism, but with little or no impact on the design and construction of church facilities.

Most Americans are coming to terms with the environmental peril facing our planet. Documentaries, books, media attention and scientific research are raising consciousness to this very important issue. For this we should all be grateful. However, there exists an inconvenient truth within the present environmental movement. The greatest levels of environmental derogation exist where people of color live.

Scientists are in wide agreement that global warming is real. Carbon dioxide and methane gases have increased in our atmosphere over the years and scientists believe these are mostly to blame for the warming phenomena which are causing more frequent extreme weather, disappearing glaciers and ice cover in both the Arctic and Antarctic Sea regions, and a rise in the ocean's temperatures.

I had the pleasure of hearing former Vice President and Nobel Prize recipient Al Gore speak in January at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta. The presentation he delivered to his fellow Baptists was one of stewardship of the earth. Caring for God's creation and its inhabitants was a responsibility first given to Adam. We still have that responsibility today, although the effects of our negligence are leaving behind some irreversible consequences.

TheGreenBible.org is now online. The site, from Baptist Center for Ethics and EthicsDaily.com, is a warehouse of information on the biblical mandate to care for the environment--and what people of faith can and should do.

There's a valuable teaching tool for pastors and religious educators willing to take a little political risk: Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," say two congregational leaders who have shown the film in Baptist churches.

The March issue of Delta Airlines' in-flight magazine has a green theme. An SUV, the 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, is being sold as the green car of the year. BASF, a chemical company, brags about its breakthrough product: a biodegradable plastic bag. Target has a print ad with the title "Love your mother (earth)." Clorox sells a cleaning product made from plants and markets its support for the Sierra Club.

Robert Parham at EthicsDaily.com recently posted an article about Al Gore's interview on "60 Minutes" discussing the "toxic partnership" between religious fundamentalists, who deny global warming in an effort to protect a hyper-literal reading of the Bible, and free-market ideologues, who deny it to protect their financial interests.

Australian Baptists announced last week that they support Earth Hour 2008, an initiative launched last year in Sydney that focuses on global warming and has spread across the globe, signing up individuals, corporations and cities to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

Unless a 21st century Moses comes down from Stone Mountain with a new commandment about global warming, don't expect the majority of Southern Baptist clergy to tackle the issue of human-induced climate change. Scientific consensus simply isn't enough to trigger responsible moral action for those who demand the absolute certainty of divine revelation.

Global warming is worse now than when I first wrote about it in my out-of-print book, Loving Neighbors Across Time: A Christian Guide to Protecting the Earth, published in late 1991. Scientific evidence is more definitive. Moral action is more urgent. Opposition is more boneheaded now than then.

From time to time throughout this long presidential campaign, I have heard several people say they wish Al Gore would get into the race. I am not one of them. I don't want the former vice president to run for president, because it would distract him from the important work he is doing in the cause of the environment. The consequences of that campaign have truly global significance.

Goodwill Baptists in North America are having feverish public and private conversations about next steps. Of course, trying to get Baptists heading in the same direction is like herding cats, a near impossibility.

Unpublicized is a jewel of an opportunity for Baptists concerned about the environment. If you want to know more about global warming and what you can do, then attend one of two special screenings of "An Inconvenient Truth" during the New Baptist Covenant gathering next week in Atlanta and interface with two Baptist ministers who have shown the documentary in their churches.

A British Baptist leader welcomed political consensus forged at last month's Union Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, but lamented objections by the United States to set targets for reducing greenhouse emissions that nearly derailed the proceedings.

The law may describe acts of natural disaster beyond human control as "acts of God," but that isn't stopping finger pointing from the right and left for wildfires whipping across Southern California fanned by Santa Ana winds.

Partisan political power matters morally. Partisan politics are often necessary in a sinful world. That doesn't mean partisan politics equal moral perfection or that one party is the party of God. It does mean that partisan power has the potential to establish a more just society, one where the common good is valued more than corporate gain.